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Minnesota State Fair expands its menu for 2019

The 31 new food offerings include ice cream nachos and fried tacos-on-a-stick.

July 1, 2019

4 Min Read
blueberry key lime pie
BLUE RIBBON: Minnesota Farmers Union has another new food at the state fair: a blueberry key lime pie. Stop by and enjoy a slice while you’re at the fair later this summer.Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair has added 31 official new foods for visitors to enjoy at the 2019 Great Minnesota Get-Together.

In total, nearly 500 foods are available at 300 different concession locations throughout the fairgrounds.

Among those new offerings are two that will be served at the Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop: blueberry key lime pie and lavender lemonade.

Here is a partial list of delectable treats:

Breakfast potato skin. Deep-fried potato skin stuffed with scrambled eggs and peppers, topped with blackened beef chislic — a South Dakota bar food staple — and drizzled with bearnaise sauce. At The Blue Barn, located at West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center.

Carnitas taco cone. Carnitas with a sesame-garlic ginger sauce, cabbage, lime and queso fresco, topped with green onion and sour cream and served in a deep-fried cone-shaped tortilla. At San Felipe Tacos, located in the Food Building, east wall.

Carolina pit-smoked brisket taco. Beef brisket pit-smoked over hickory charcoal, shredded and topped with smoked Gouda cheese, a pickled kale crunch made with kale, Brussels sprouts, carrots, radicchio, napa and red cabbage, with a drizzle of BBQ sauce; served in a flour tortilla with tortilla chips. At Shanghaied Henri’s, located at the International Bazaar, north wall.

Fried tacos on-a-stick. Two stuffed tacos — one filled with green chorizo and potatoes and one filled with a vegetarian black bean and corn mix — deep-fried, topped with crumbled cheese and a drizzle of guacamole salsa and served on-a-stick. Available only between Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. At Midtown Global Market’s Taco Cat, located in the Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall.

Irish whiskey BBQ chicken

PROTEIN PLUS: O’Gara’s new fair food? Anything with a touch of Irish whiskey, of course. This dish features white chicken chunks, breaded, deep-fried, tossed in Irish whiskey BBQ sauce and garnished with chopped scallions.

Grilled sota sandwich. Cinnamon nut butter and Minnesota blueberry marmalade served warm on Irish soda bread. At Brim, located at the North End, northwest section.

The Hot Hen. BBQ chips topped with smoked pulled buffalo chicken, blue cheese fondue, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, green onions and blue cheese crumbles. At RC’s BBQ, located on the north side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett & Chambers streets.

Jamm’in brisket grilled cheese. Slow-smoked brisket, red onion jam, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses and RC’s hot BBQ sauce. At RC’s BBQ, located on the north side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett & Chambers streets.

Lamb T-bone chops. All-natural, 100% grass-fed grilled lamb loins seasoned with Mama Fatima’s Holy Land Marinade. At Holy Land, located at the International Bazaar, southeast corner.

Peaches n’ Cream Nachos

MORE FRUIT PLUS DAIRY: Bridgeman’s Ice Cream will offer a new dessert at the 2019 State Fair — peaches n’ cream nachos. A bed of cinnamon sugar pita chips holds Bridgeman’s peaches n’ cream ice cream, peach topping, a drizzle of honey and crushed pecans. Then it is topped with whipped cream, a cherry and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

Tipsy pecan tart. Pecan pie infused with Dubliner Irish Whiskey and baked in a buttery shortbread shell. At Sara’s Tipsy Pies, located in the Food Building, south wall.

MFU has been at the State Fair since the 1950s in a building on the corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street. It became the Farmers Union Coffee Shop in 2003, offering locally roasted coffee and foods. For 2019, the shop will feature blueberry key lime pie and lavender lemonade. The pie is made with blueberry key lime filling in a graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream and fresh blueberries. The pink lemonade is flavored with fresh lavender leaves.

The Farmers Union Coffee Shop sources its ingredients from Minnesota family farmers and businesses. This year, sources include:

  • Hidden Stream Farm, Elgin: bacon, lavender

  • Hmong American Farmers Association, Vermillion: lavender

  • Heartbeet Farm, Zumbro Falls: greens

  • Riverbend Farm, Delano: tomatoes

  • Featherstone Farm, Rushford: tomatoes, greens, kale

  • Twin Organics, Eagan: tomatoes, basil

  • Blue Fruit Farm, Winona: blueberries

  • Happy Fish Aquaponics + Gentleman Forager, Stacy and St. Paul: lettuce, basil

  • Sno Pac Foods, Caledonia: blueberries, corn

  • Whole Grain Milling, Welcome: cornmeal

  • Baker’s Field Flour + Bread, Minneapolis: Kernza flour

  • Locally Laid Egg Company, Wrenshall: eggs

  • Stony Creek Dairy, Melrose: butter, milk, cream

  • Wild Country Maple, Lutsen: maple syrup

Last year, MFY unveiled The Heirloom Tomato & Sweet Corn BLT. That returns in 2019 with the option to add an egg.

For a complete list of new fair foods, visit mnstatefair.org/new-this-year/food.

Sources: Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farmers Union, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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